Electric power unit



Jan. 7, 1936.

J. D. CHRISTIAN 2,027,149

ELECTRIC POWER UNIT Original Filed May 2, 1932 FIEL- ATTORNEY i secured.

Patented Jan. 7, 1936 2,027,149

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE ELECTRIC POWER UNIT Joseph D. Christian, SanFrancisco, Calif.

Original application May 2, 1932, Serial No. 608,757. Divided and thisapplication July 7, 1934, Serial No. 734,172

16 Claims. -(o1. 14-421) This is a division of application Serial Numberducer by which the construction, operation and 608,757 and relates to atorque and load transmaintenance of both the units is simplified,facilimitter, particularly one for a high torque and a tated andrendered more accessible. low speed electric power unit. Another featureof the invention is the provi- For many industrial purposes itisdesirable sion of a power unit which can be modified to that standardhigh speed electric motors be utisuit practically any industrial loadwithout relized because of their cheapness and availability. quiring anychange other than a replacement of These motors are usually classed as4-6 and 8 pole various of the gear means comprising the power speeds.When a much slower speed is desired a unit.

10 special construction is necessary. Speed reducers The inventionpossesses other advantageous 10 and transmission devices have beenutilized to features and objects, some of which with the foreadapt thespeed and power available from standgoing will'be set forth at length inthe followard motors to the particular requirements which ing, where Ihave outlined the preferred form would otherwise require a specialmotor. of the speed reducer construction of my inven- It is one of theprincipal objects of the present tion. It is to be understood that theform deinvention to provide a construction in which an picted is onlythe preferred form of the invention electric motor and a powertransmission device and that other forms and modifications can be areprovided in a novel manner. In this conadopted within the scope of theappended claims. nection, it is a feature of this invention, an ex- Inthe drawing:

tension and improvement on that disclosed in my Figure 1 is a'horizontalsection through the Patent 1,860,703, that the size of the unit is re:torque and load transmitter. duced with the result that the unit can bereadily Figure 2 is a section on line 2-2.

. utilized industrially under conditions where space My invention may bebriefly characterized as is a material factor and exacting speeds arerecomprising the combination of a motor unit and quired. Electric motorsand speed reducers have a speed change unit joined to provide a power 25been heretofore assembled and coupled as indiunit having certainfeatures and certain novel vidual units upon a separate base unit. In2.0- features of construction in the motor unit and cordancewith thepresent invention the unwieldiin the speed reducer unit. ness and lackof compactness in such units have I provide a prime mover unit generallydesigbeen obviated, a small compact unit being availnated as 6 which isshown as an electric motor able, through certain novel features ofconstrucand a speed change unit generally designated at tion. 0 I, in acasing or housing 8. The housing has sev- A particular feature of thepresent invention is eral feet I l in which holes [2 are provided sothat the provision of a power transmission unit wherethe whole unit canbe adjusted and secured with in a prime mover and a change speed deviceare respect to a supporting surface in a desired posi- 5 provided in anovel manner. Heretofore it has tion. These feet are convenientlyprovided in the been the practice to mount the change speed ,samerelationship to the housing as ordinarily device and the prime mover ona separate base. exists between the base portion of a motor andIndustrially such units have not met with favor the motor shaft so thatthe whole unit can be set where space was a consideration. In accordancein place upon a supporting surface in place of a with this invention, Imount the prime mover standard motor. The base portion dimensions on aspeed change unit adapter and provide the and shaft relationships inelectric motors have base on the speed change unit and on the adapter.been standardized so that a manufacturer can A device so constructedminimizes space requiresubstitute any one of several motors in a unitments while possessing the additional advantage if the supportingsurface on the unit is accord- 45 that the whole device can be placedwhere the ing to the standards adopted for motor .bases. prime mover hadbeen designed to be received. It is to be noted that the base or feetare pro- Thus, the right speed can be secured without hav vided only onthe speed change unit and that the ing to purchase a special primemover. Also, prime mover unit is mounted on the speed change the changespeed unit includes means enabling unit and is supported by the base onthe speed 5 the speed and torque furnished to be varied withchange unit.Thus, the reaction to the torque in limits so that flexibility in speedand power is developed by the speed change unit acts through a shorterdistance than when the base is provided A further object of theinvention is to devise under the motor and the change unit is installedconstructim 59 a d p d Icon the motor, the reaction being entirely inthe 55 which can take speed changer, which is suitably designed for suchloads, rather .than through the prime mover which is not ordinarilydesigned for high torque transmission.

In the construction illustrated in the drawing, casing or housing 8 isshown as including two portions, a first chambered portion in which thespeed change unitis provided and a second chambered portion in which themotor unit is provided. These portions are on opposite sides of memberIS, an adapter, extending transversely of the casing 8 to divide it offinto separate and distinct chambers formed as will presently appear.Since the speed change unit ordinarily operates in the presence of aconsiderable quantity of lubricating medium, as oil, the plate andbearings provided in the member I6 are of such a nature that oil can notpass, to any appreciable extent, through to the motor.

The member [6 includes a grooved portion l1 adapted to cooperativelyreceive and engage a power unit 6 such as a standard electric motor. Themotor is secured in the housing 8 by through bolts I 8 which extend fromend bell 28 through the motor to secure the motor in place on the changespeed unit. If desired,'member i6 can be extended, when undergoingmanufacture, to provide the motor housing so that only the rotor andstator need be inserted in the housing.

Positioned between member I6 01 the casing and end bell 28 is fieldwinding or stator 2| of the electric motor. This stator or field windingI any suitable form, depending upon the type of motor installed, ispositioned so that a free air circulation through the motor can bemaintained in any desirable manner. C0- operatively disposed withrespect to the field winding or stator is a rotor 23, positioned forrotation upon a shaft 24 which generally extends coaxial with respect tothe housing. The rotor can also form is desired, depending upon theparticular type of electric motor desired. In the form shown in thedrawing, the motor is of the induction type and the rotor 23includes aplurality of fan blades 26 which are adapted upon To facilitate theassembly of-the motor unit and its subsequent inspection andmaintenance, end bell 28 is secured to the casing by the bolts l8 tocomplete enclosure of the motor. Bearing 32 is provided in end of theshaft 24 while an oil seal bearing 33 is provided for the plate l6.

The assembly of the speed change unit is facilitated,

belLis secured by studs 31.

Positioned within end bell 36 are a driven shaft 38, a counter shaft 39and a pintle shaft 4 I These shafts are so arranged that the speedreducer or bell 28 for supporting one end portion extending from saidpower take ofl shaft coaxial forged, cut, and turned integrallytherewith. The 5 sides of gear 6| are dished as at 62 to accommodatemember 42 and wall 51 so that shafts 38, 4|, and 24 can be aligned andstill provide the maximum bearing distance. Thus, bearings 54 and 56'arespaced apart so that torque of a maximum amount can be transmittedwithout the use of outboard bearings.

Bearings 58 and 66 support the pintle or stub shaft 4| independently ofshaft 24 so that spline or key connection 5! has only to transmitrotational forces. A hearing retainer 59 is placed between bearings 58and 33 and is grooved to prevent undue oil passage to bearing 33. k

Transverse wall 51 forms one end of a cage 62 formed integrally with endbell 38. Bearings 54 20 and 56 are within the cage and are of the oilseal type so that leakage of lubricant is minimized. The cage isreinforced by webs 63 so that a. rigid support for shaft 38 is secured.

Means, such as a plurality of herring bone or 25 helical cut gearsindicated at 53, are provided upon the counter and pintle shaftscooperatively with respect to each other and gears 6| so that areduction or increase in the torque or'speed available from the motorshaft is transmitted through to the driven shaft 38. These gears, aspreviously mentioned, are preferably of the herring bone, helical, orspiral type, since they are eflicient and the noise attendant upon theiroperation isvery small.

I claim:

1. In combination, a casing including a wall member and an end wall, amotor shaft on one side of said wall member, a stub shaft slidablyconnected to said motor shaft and extending on (0 the other side of saidwall member, a bearing for said stub shaft, said wall member including awall member toward said end wall and supporting said bearing, a powertake off shaft coaxial with said stub shaft, 45 and a gear on an end ofsaid take off shaft adjacent said extending casing member portion, saidgear having a recessed face adjacent said extending portion to receivesaid portion.

2. In combination, a casing including awall 0 member and an end wall,amotor shaft on one side of said wall member, a stub shaft slidablyconnected to said motor shaft and extending on the other side of saidwall member, a bearing for said stub shaft, said wall member'including a55 portion extending from said wall member toward said end wall andsupporting said'bearing, a with said stubshaft, and a gear on an end ofsaid take off shaft adjacent said extending casing member portion.

3. In .combination, a casing including a wall member and an end wall, amotor shaft on one side of said wall member, a stub shaft slidablyconnected to said motor shaft and extending on the other side of saidwall member, a counter 65 shaft, a bearing for said porting saidbearing, axial with said stub of said take off shaft ing member portion,

a power take off shaft coshaft, a bearing on an end 70 adjacent saidextending cassaid gear having a recessed power transmission means car-4. In combination, a casing including first and second spaced wallmembers, a motor shaft on one side of said first wall member, a stubshaft slidably connected to said motor shaft and extending on the otherside of said first wall member, a bearing for said stub shaft, saidfirst wall member including a portion extending from said first wallmember toward said second wall member and supporting said bearing, apower take off shaft coaxial with said stub shaft, said second wallmember including a portion extending toward said first mentionedextending portion, bearing means carried by said second wall member andits extending portion to support said take off shaft, anda gear on anend of said take off shaft adjacent said extending first wall memberportion, said gear having a recessed face adjacent said extendingportion to receive said portion.

5. In combination, a casing including first and second spaced wallmembers, a motor shaft on one side of said first wall member, a stubshaft slidably connected to said motor shaft and extending on the otherside of said first wall member, a bearing for said stub shaft, saidfirst wall member including a portion extending from said first wallmember toward said second wall member and supporting said bearing, apower take off shaft coaxial with said stub shaft, said second wallmember including a portion extending toward said first mentionedextending portion, bearing means carried by said second wall member andits extending portion to support said take off shaft, and a gear on anend of said take off shaft adjacent said extending first wall memberportion.

6. In combination, a casing including first and.

second spaced wall members, a motor shaft on one side of said first wallmember, a stub shaft slidably connected to said motor shaft andextending on the other side of said first wall member, a bearing forsaid stub shaft, said first wall member including a portion extendingfrom said first wall member toward said second wall member andsupporting said bearing, a power take off shaft coaxial with said stubshaft, said second wall member including a portion extending toward saidfirst mentioned extending portion, bearing means carried by said secondwall member and its extending portion to support said take off shaft, agear on an end of said shaft adjacent said extending first wall memberportion,' said gear having a recessed face adjacent said extending firstwall member portion to receive said portion, a counter shaft, and powertransmission means carried by said shafts.

'7. In combination, a casing including first and second spaced wallmembers, a motor shaft on one side of said first wall member, a stubshaft slidably connected to said motor shaft and extending on the otherside of said first wall member, a bearing for said stub shaft, saidfirst wall member including a portion extending from said first wallmember toward said second wall member and supporting said bearing, apower take off shaft coaxial with said stub shaft, said second wallmember including a portion extending toward said first mentionedextending portion, bearing means carried by said second wall member andits extending portion to support said take off shaft, a gear on an endof said shaft adjacent said extending first wall member portion, acounter shaft, and power transmission means carried by said shafts.

8. In combination, a casing including first and second spaced wallmember portions, a motor shaft on one side of said first wall member, astub shaft slidably connected to said motor shaft and extending on theother side of said first wall member, a bearing for said stub shaft,said first 5 wall member including a portion extending from said firstwall member toward said second wall member and supporting said bearing,a power take-off shaft coaxial with said stub shaft, said second Wallmember including a portion extending toward said first mentionedextending portion, bearing means carried by said second wall member andits extending portion to support said take off shaft, a gear on an endof said take off shaft adjacent said extending first wall memberportion, said gear having a recessed face adjacent said extending firstwall member portion to receive said portion, a counter shaft, bearingmeans for said counter shaft in said first wall member and in saidsecond wall member, and power transmission means carried by said shafts.

9. In combination, a casing including first and second spaced wallmember portions, a motor shaft on one side of said first wall member, astub shaft slidably connected to said motor shaft and extending on theother side of said first wall member, a bearing for said stub shaft,said first wall member including a portion extending from said firstwall member toward said second wall member and supporting said bearing,a power take off shaft coaxial with said stub shaft, said second wallmember including a portion extending, bearing means carried by saidsecond wall member and its extending portion to support'said take offshaft, a gear on an end of said take off shaft adjacent said extendingfirst wall member portion, said gear having a recessed face adjacentsaid extending first wall member portion to receive said portion, acounter shaft, bearing means for said counter shaft in said first wallmember and in said second wall member, and power transmission meanscarried by said shafts.

10. In combination, a casing having a wall and an end wall, an extensionfor supporting a hearing on each of said walls, and a shaft supported bya bearing in one of said walls and its extension and having a gear on anend thereof, said gear having its opposite faces recessed to receiveeach of said extensions.

11. In combination, two oppositely spacedparallel walls, each wallhaving a portion thereof extending toward the other wall, two pairs ofbearings, one bearing being in each wall and portion thereof, and ashaft supported in each pair of bearings, one shaft having a gear on anend thereof recessed to admit said extending portions.

12. In combination, two oppositely spaced parallel walls, each wallhaving a portion thereof extending toward the other wall, two pairs ofbearings, one bearing being in each wall and portion thereof, and ashaft supported in each pair of bearings, one shaft having a gear on anend thereof recessed to admit said extending portions and a countershaft having gears thereon cooperating with gears on the other shafts.

13. In a geared motor the combination with a motor having a stator frameand rotor shaft, of a one-piece housing, an end closure for said housingreleasably secured thereto and to said frame, a stub shaft arrangedconcentrically of said rotor shaft and having a separable drivingconnection therewith, spaced bearings for said shaft carried by saidclosure, a pinion on said shaft between said bearings, a power take-offshaft in shaft hollowed out said housing coaxially' disposed withrespect to said stub shaft, spaced bearings for said last named shaft, agear on the rear end of said last named shaft hollowed out toaccommodate one of said stub shaft bearings, and means including acountershaft iom'nalled in said housing for transmitting power from saidpinion to said gear;

14. The combination with a motor having a rotor shaft, of a gear setincluding a pinion shaft separably connected in driving relation withsaid rotor shaft, spaced bearings for supporting said pinion shaftindependently of said rotor shaft to permit withdrawal of the latterwithoutaifecting said pinion shaft, a pinion on said pinion shaftbetween -said bearings, a yoke structure embracing said pinion andsupporting said bearings, a power take-ofi shaft aligned with saidpinion shaft, a gear on the end of said last named to accommodate saidyoke structure, and means including a countershaft for transmittingpower from said pinion to said gear.

15. In a geared motor the combination with a motor having a stator frameand rotor shaft, 9. housing, means for releasably securing said housingto said frame, means for separating the interior of said housing fromthe interior of said frame, a bearing carried by said separating meansfor supporting the forward end of said rotor shaft, a stub shaft in saidhousing aligned with said rotor shaft, a separable driving connectionbetween said rotor shaft and said stub shaft, spaced bearings carried bysaid separating means for supporting said stub shaft independently ofsaid rotor shaft, a pinion on said stub shaft between said spacedbearings, a power take-off shaft journalled in said housing andprojecting forwardly therefrom, and gearing in said housing fortransmitting power from said pinion to said last named shaft.

16. The combination with a motor having a stator frame, and rotor shaft,of a gear set including a pinion'shaft aligned with said rotor shaft,spaced bearings for supporting said pinion shaft independently of saidrotor shaft, one end of one of said shafts being hollow to looselyreceive the other shaft, a separable driving con- 20 nection betweensaid shafts, and means adjacent said rotor shaft and including aplurality of grooves forming a centrifugal oil seal effective to preventtravel of oil from said bearings to said motor.

JOSEPH D. CHRISTIAN.

